list.in.to.chicago this week: 02.09.2004

The Reader's Early Warnings page listed the onsale information for A Perfect Circle and The Mars Volta under P instead of A, which, while technically correct, didn't seem to fit the usage of the indefinite article in this case. So far, I'm the only one who's really upset about this, but it's only because I actually scanned the first half of the listings specifically to see if this show was on sale yet.

Which is a whole lot of grammatical exposition to say that they've only got upper deck seats left, and that blows. So, if you have any good leads for tickets to the April 16th show at UIC Pavillion, please let me know. I don't want to have to beg. Think of it as a way of showing your appreciation for the newsletter.

Pick of the week
Very briefly --and that's probably the only time those two words will apply this week -- I'd lean toward Ivory Wire on Wednesday (Double Door), Bob Mould on Thursday (also Double Door) if you can figure out how to get tickets, and Evil Beaver on Saturday (Metro).

list.in.to.COZ
If you haven't seen Diver yet (Friday, Vaughan's), you don't know what you're missing. Seriously, by definition, if you haven't seen us, the best you're going on is hearsay, or worse, my opinion. So, while you might say you know what you'd be missing, you could never really be sure. See for yourself. If you have seen us before, you know you should come out to hear the likes of Paul Weller, Coldplay, Oasis and The Beatles by a band that can only be described as "rakishly handsome."

Which is exactly why you shouldn't be trusting my opinion, right?

Recap
What struck me most about American Motherload at Metro on Saturday night was how much better they were than the first two bands. One featured repetitive sludgy guitar riffs, a singer with maybe a three-note range, and Marshall stacks taller than the band members, none of which made them terribly endearing or memorable. The other made me embarrassed to have ever admired Rush and Neil Peart. The drummer was clearly under Peart's influence, to the point where he ripped the opening riff from the Canadian power trio's "One Little Victory" for the intro to a song, and the band actually teased it like it was cool.

Look, I used to love Rush, but it wasn't cool (stealing the drum riff or loving Rush, take your pick). Neither was the stick-tossing, which the tattooed, very red-haired woman next to me incorrectly ascribed to Tommy Lee. And, for the love of all that rocks, don't stand up behind the kit after every song. I'm not even advocating "less is more," as anyone who knows me knows how fond I am of occasionally overplaying. This guy was just forcing drum parts where they didn't belong, and as you've probably figured out by now, it really bugged the shit out of me.

Yeah, I wimped on Googlebaiting the bands I didn't like again. There's just no compelling reason for them to know what I think.

It's not even that prog rock is verboten. We played with a band called RPM on Friday that covered everything from, well, old King Crimson to new King Crimson, and they were great.

And thanks to those of you who came out to see Patrick Hasbrook (now Blue Line Transit), The Honor Thieves (soon to be Late Night Radio) and Diver (which was technically only 75% of Diver, which still puts it underwater, right?) last week.

2.09   monday
Chicago Rock Club (Elbo Room)
The beer is free from 8 to 9pm, unless they've changed something, and then you can hobnob with other bands that you probably think you're band is better than, at which point you get bitter that some of those other bands are more successful than yours and fly into a blind, alcohol-fueled rage. Or you just enjoy being part of such a vibrant music scene. One or the other.

2.10   tuesday
Open Mike (Vaughan's)   COZ SINGS!
I'm going to keep trying new Bowie songs until I find one that works well. "Ashes to Ashes" showed some potential, but I have higher hopes for "Blue Jean." As always, if you sing, play guitar or sing and play guitar, come on out. Just drink a lot of coffee at work on Wednesday, for the very few of you on this list who actually have jobs. Economic recovery, my ass.

2.11   wednesday
Ivory Wire with Suffrajett, American Cosmonaut and Bicycle Tricycle (Double Door)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
The Wire was added to this bill just recently, which has no real bearing on anything other than I'm having trouble coming up with anything to say that I haven't said already. I've seen Bicycle Tricycle already, but it was under erroneous assumptions and expectations, so I should be able to give them a fairer shake this time.

2.12   thursday
Bob Mould (Double Door)
This is a special XRT show, with some special XRT way to get tickets, but seeing as how I haven't had a car for the last week and a half, my radio listening has suffered. So I haven't got the slightest idea how one actually gets those tickets.

2.13   friday
Diver (Vaughan's)   SEE COZ LIVE!
This is the full-bore electric quartet version of the band in all it's amplified glory. Lots of Britpop and other good stuff. If you've been to Vaughan's, you know that the biggest question regarding this show is, where the hell are we going to fit my drums?

Alicia Keys with Jaheim, Keith Sweat, Musiq Soulchild, Maurice Mahon and JS (United Center)
As far as current R&B goes, this is a pretty stacked lineup. Alicia Keys falls in that nebulous category of artists who pique my interest, but not quite enough to get me to actually buy a CD. This would be much easier if I'd just break down and get KaZaa, I know.

2.14   saturday
Evil Beaver with The Countdown, Acumen Nation and The Streetwisemen (Metro)
They're calling this the "Valentine's Day Mascara," which still isn't as funny as the posters up at Metro for this one. Gotta hand it to the Beaver, they've got a good thing going and they shtick with it.

Urge Overkill with The Sights (Double Door)   SOLD OUT!
Is it weird to call alternative bands from the 90s "venerable"? That doesn't technically apply to Urge, since they haven't actually been together in quite some time, so never mind. Good to see they can still sell out two nights at Double Door, because if Nash Kato had to rely on the voiceover demo I heard about a year ago, he'd be in big trouble.

Duvall with Menthol and Woolworthy (Bottom Lounge)
These bands probably have a better claim to being venerable on the Chicago scene than Urge Overkill by this point, although with headliners Duvall, you have to consider The Smoking Popes as part of that continuum to make that work.

Colin Hay with Paul Cebar (Old Town School of Folk Music)
Yes, that Colin Hay, the former frontman from Men At Work. You may or may not care that former Frank Zappa drummer Chad Wackerman played on some of his solo records, but I thought I'd mention it to provide some continuity to Sunday's listings.

2.15   sunday
Dweezil Zappa and Lisa Loeb (House of Blues)
The Food Network is sponsoring a music tour? Or are Loeb and the Dweez going to cook on stage for two hours? I haven't actually watched the pair's show, but Frank's kid seems to have been surgically attached to the bespectacled singer for about fifteen years now. Which seems entirely too long for it to even be a romantic thing, doesn't it?